“How!” said the Queen Dowager, “confined by the inquisition for his services!” “Not altogether for his services,” said the Chevalier; “but without any regard to his services, he was treated in the manner I have mentioned for a little affair of gallantry, which I shall relate to the King presently.

“The campaign of Catalonia being thus ended, we were returning home, not overloaded with laurels; but as the Prince de Conde had laid up a great store on former occasions, and as he had still great projects in his head, he soon forgot this trifling misfortune:  we did nothing but joke with one another during the march, and the prince was the first to ridicule the siege.  We made some of those rhymes on Lerida, which were sung all over France, in order to prevent others more severe; however, we gained nothing by it, for notwithstanding we treated ourselves freely in our own ballads, others were composed in Paris in which we were ten times more severely handled.  At last we arrived at Perpignan upon a holy-day:  a company of Catalans, who were dancing in the middle of the street, out of respect to the prince came to dance under his windows:  Monsieur Poussatin, in a little black jacket, danced in the middle of this company, as if he was really mad.  I immediately recognized him for my countryman, from his manner of skipping and frisking about:  the prince was charmed with his humour and activity.  After the dance, I sent for him, and inquired who he was:  ‘A poor priest, at your service, my lord,’ said he:  ’my name is Poussatin, and Bearn is my native country:  I was going into Catalonia to serve in the infantry, for, God be praised, I can march very well on foot; but since the war is happily concluded, if your lordship pleases to take me into your service, I would follow you everywhere, and serve you faithfully.’  ‘Monsieur Poussatin,’ said I, ’my lordship has no great occasion for a chaplain; but since you are so well disposed towards me, I will take you into my service.’

“The Prince de Conde, who was present at this conversation, was overjoyed at my having a chaplain.  As poor Poussatin was in a very tattered condition, I had no time to provide him with a proper habit at Perpignan; but giving him a spare livery of one of the Marshal de Grammont’s servants, I made him get up behind the prince’s coach, who was like to die with laughing every time he looked at poor Poussatin’s uncanonical mien in a yellow livery.

“As soon as we arrived in Paris, the story was told to the Queen, who at first expressed some surprise at it:  this, however, did not prevent her from wishing to see my chaplain dance; for in Spain it is not altogether so strange to see ecclesiastics dance, as to see them in livery.

“Poussatin performed wonders before the Queen; but as he danced with great sprightliness, she could not bear the odour which his violent motions diffused around her room the ladies likewise began to pray for relief; for he had almost entirely got the better of all the perfumes and essences with which they were fortified:  Poussatin, nevertheless, retired with a great deal of applause, and some louis d’or.